I. Field
The present invention concerns a device, useful in the dispensing of solid articles, for example, cylindrical cans.
II. Art with Problems
A twelve-, eighteen- or more-pack carton of beverages such as canned soda or beer is an esteemed comestible item, fit for quenching the thirst of a purchaser and his guests. Typically, however, although most such cartons are designed with flaps on each end of the carton, which can be torn away for dispensing the canned beverage, users stand the carton in a way in which a torn out orifice faces upwardly and reaches in to take a can, frequently tearing away the carton around the orifices as successive cans of beverage are sought and as they lie hidden lower and lower in the thus-positioned carton. One alternative is to use the carton as would be intended, with its torn out corner orifice at the bottom of the carton and facing the would be consumer, which itself is problematical as cylindrical cans of beverage often roll out the carton unabated. Another alternative is to place the carton on one side with the longitudinal axis of each can vertically oriented, but one disadvantage in doing so is that approximately fifty percent more shelf space is required, which is of particular concern if the shelf is in a refrigerator where space can be at a premium. Another disadvantage of the latter alternative is that cans are increasingly difficult to reach as the number of cans remaining in the carton is reduced.
In addressing this problem, various article dispensing apparatus have been proposed. Among such art may be mentioned the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,943 to Powell: HOLDER FOR DISPENSING CANS FROM MULTI-CAN CARTON.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,821 to Markel: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING ROLLABLE ARTICLES.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,117 to Zimmanck: BEVERAGE CAN DISPENSER.
In addition, the following art is known:
Harriet Carter (Reg. U.S. Pat. and Tm. Off.) Catalog, January 2001, F2997 Dispenser. This is a two-level dispenser unit in which a top row of cans feeds into a bottom row of cans; the top row feeds rearward with bottom row feeding frontward; when a can is removed from the bottom row at a retrieval site at the front of that row, the lower row of cans move forward to fill up the front vacancy, with a can at the rear of the top row dropping down to the rear of the bottom row to fill up that rear vacancy.
Grayline (Reg. U.S. Pat. and Tm. Off.) Housewares 12-can wire beverage dispenser rack. This also is a two-level dispenser unit which is similar in operation to the Harriet Carter dispenser.
Soda-Caddy(trademark) 12-can beverage plastic dispenser rack. This also is a two-level dispenser unit which is similar in operation to the Harriet Carter dispenser.
Soda-Shoot(trademark) 12-can beverage plastic dispenser rack. This also is a two-level dispenser unit which is similar in operation to the Harriet Carter dispenser.
As effective as such art may be, it is not without drawbacks. Among these may be mentioned a certain inconvenience, bulkiness, and inefficiency in conversion of the apparatus to and from service and storage modes and/or in retaining or using the apparatus in such modes. In addition, known can dispenser devices such as the lattermentioned two-level dispensers simply do not work well, if at all, in that the top row of cans often does not feed into the bottom row, and the bottom row of cans does not feed forward well with cans then becoming inaccessible.
It would be desirable to ameliorate if not overcome outright such drawbacks in the art.
The present invention provides a dispensing device comprising a looped member having a plurality of stiff segments connected by hinges. The device generally includes or can be manipulated to provide a can-stop. Beneficially, the dispensing device is made of a looped member having five or six stiff segments connected by so-called living hinges: in the former case, three or four of the hinges open (face) outward and one or two face inward in relation to the looped member; in the latter case, which may fold for insertion into a beverage carton, four or five hinges face outward with one or two facing inward. As an alternative to a large loop, the dispensing device can comprise a member upon which a can or carton can rest and a can-stop reversibly connected thereto; in this case, the can-stop may be a short loop. Also provided is a method to restrain cylindrical objects exiting an opened carton, comprising providing a dispensing device having a generally flat base member and a can-stop; placing the base member under the objects in the carton with the can-stop outside the carton; and allowing at least one of the objects to roll from inside the carton to outside the carton where it is stopped by the can-stop.
The invention is useful in assisting article dispensing.
Significantly, by the invention, inconvenience, bulkiness, and inefficiency in conversion to and from service and storage modes is ameliorated if not overcome outright. In particular, in an embodiment adapted for dispensing individual cylindrical cans of beverage from a carton such as a twelve-pack of soda or beer, the invention is most efficiently folded to its service mode and most easily folded flat to its storage mode. Advantageously, embodiments of the device may be made to fold up for insertion into a carton of beverages such as a twelve-pack or more. The invention can be made of lightweight, inexpensive materials, and can be pleasing to the eye as well as efficient in use.
Numerous further advantages attend the invention.